The world works in mysterious ways, it truly does! When I first volunteered with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT) program in 2015, I never in a million years thought I would be fundraising in honor of my husband Dave.
I was diagnosed in 2009 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Upon diagnosis, perhaps the greatest shock was becoming aware that I knew so little about cancer, so little about the medical system, and how one needs to go about a process of self-education regarding their disease.
My story begins with a routine yearly mammogram in April of 2020. I am currently a 25-year breast cancer survivor.
My Uncle Don Parker is my hero, and my favorite uncle as well, who just never gave up on himself and others. And when he got sick and passed away with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2001, I was inspired to do a Team In Training (TNT) marathon in Honolulu, Hawaii, that same year in December 2001.
Seeing Roses
In 1999 I had a lump on my neck, and after strong urging from my wife and my mother, I finally went to my family doctor. My white blood cell counts were really high, and antibiotics didn't help. Eventually, a biopsy indicated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
My name is Jaime Fernandez and I am a Clinical Social Worker with UCI Health. I have the pleasure and honor of working with individuals diagnosed with blood cancers.
